Economy is easily the biggest worry of tonight’s primary voters

WASHINGTON — The economy was easily the top concern of people voting in the New Hampshire Republican presidential primary, according to early results of an exit poll of voters Tuesday.

In addition, about a third of them said their main criterion in picking a candidate was finding one who can defeat President Barack Obama in this fall’s elections. That was slightly more than said they were seeking a GOP contender with the right experience or with strong moral character. It was also roughly the same proportion who said in last week’s Iowa GOP caucuses that they were mainly looking for someone who could oust Obama.

A majority of voters said they’re considering the candidates’ issue positions more than their personal qualities. And in one measure of voters’ overall view of the contenders, about two-thirds said they were satisfied with the GOP field.

Tuesday’s exit poll underscored how dominant the economy is as an issue in New Hampshire. About 6 in 10 who voted Tuesday cited the economy as their chief worry, more than twice the number who cited the federal budget deficit, the next most frequently cited concern.

In addition, about 7 in 10 said they were very worried about the direction of the nation’s economy, far more than said so four years ago.

Around half of those voting Tuesday consider themselves conservative, compared to 8 in 10 Iowa voters last week. About half in New Hampshire expressed support for the tea party, less than the nearly two-thirds who said so in Iowa.

THE ECONOMY: Early New Hampshire voters were more apt than Iowa caucus-goers to say the economy was the most important issue in deciding their vote. Few primary voters say their own personal financial situation has been getting worse, but they are deeply concerned about the direction the national economy is taking. Still, more say the next president should prioritize cutting the budget deficit even if that limits potential job growth.

REGISTERED INDEPENDENTS: Voters who are registered as independents or who have not chosen a party made up more than 4 in 10 voters this time around compared to about a third in 2008. Unaffiliated voters in New Hampshire can choose to participate in either party’s primary; there is not a contested Democratic primary this year.

VIEWS OF OBAMA: Voters expressed deep opposition to President Barack Obama. Overall, about 8 in 10 said they were dissatisfied with the president’s policies, including 4 in 10 who described themselves as “angry.”

AD WARS: Most New Hampshire voters said campaign advertising was not a major factor in their vote. Voters were divided on which candidate ran the most unfair campaign, with Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich near the top of that list.

GETTING OUT THE VOTE: About half of New Hampshire GOP voters said they were contacted by the campaign of the candidate they supported at the polls, with most of those reached by the more traditional mail or phone than by email or text message.

The exit poll was conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks by Edison Research as voters left their polling places at 40 randomly selected sites in New Hampshire. Preliminary results include interviews with 1,774 voters and have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

The survey was conducted for AP and the television networks by Edison Research as voters left their polling places at 40 randomly selected sites in New Hampshire. The preliminary results are based on interviews with 1,774 voters and have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.